


How to find a family

by VPABA



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Modern AU, StarkCo, The Corporations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:53:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27531070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VPABA/pseuds/VPABA
Summary: This modern era Stark tale explores important life events in the Stark family over the years. Notably when Ned and Catelyn are loosing the battle against their children about getting a dog.Rated M for language
Relationships: Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark, NEDLYN
Comments: 23
Kudos: 22





	1. Dear Santa

**Author's Note:**

> Small irruptions in the daily life of the Starks.

___________

"Oh my gaaawd! Daddy look at them!!"

Ned turned around to see three of his children staring at the window of a store. Through it, you could see a litter of heart-melting puppies jumping innocently against the glass window. He approached to get a better look at them. The store’s name was _CitizenCanine, Pet land_. To observe his children laughing at the puppies reminded him of a time he swore never to walk by this store.

"Daddy! Look at his cute little paws!"

"Their fur seems so soft!"

"They’re like little wolves!"

Sansa, Arya, and Bran were in awe before the puppies. "Come on children. You have homework to do." When at last they turned to face him he saw begging eyes matching the puppies’s ones and knew in that slip moment there was no way he would win this fight.

"Don’t get attached to the idea children. Your mother won’t allow it."

All three tore themselves away from the store with heavy steps and followed him up Winterfell Ave. Ned knew they were whispering behind his back about how they’d plan to ruin his and Catelyn’s life until they got what they desired. He recognized the determination in their eyes, he knew how each one of them would proceed to convince his wife.

They’d talk to Robb and Rickon about it, they believed in their older brother’s wisdom and their little brother’s status as a cadet. With both of them on their team, they thought Catelyn would agree more easily. And then each would remind Catelyn every single day of the dog by writing poems, making drawings of dogs, and stick them to the fridge. They’d participate around the house, doing chores, being nice, working in school.

Ned Stark knew all of this, he knew his children. But he also knew his wife: she would blame him for giving them the idea because he had wanted a dog at one point. Her indifference to the hints would eventually get the better of their desire and they’d forget.

After twelve years of wedding, he’d learned to know all of her behavior and it gave him a sort of satisfaction. Ned spotted the manor in the distance, picturing already how his youngest daughter would throw herself at Catelyn begging for a dog.

His grin widened when his children ran inside the house calling out for their mother, as expected. He quietly hanged his coat and carried the school bags in the kitchen.

"Come have a snack."

The sound of quick steps and heavy breathing gave away his daughter hiding behind the kitchen door.

"Sit down Arya." He put the snacks on the table for his children. "Where’s mommy?"

"I’m going to get Robb and Rickon from school in about an hour, Old Nan will watch you. As for mommy, she’ll be home for diner."

One could easily read the disappointment on the small faces already covered with chocolate. He pulled the chair out at the end of the table, watching patiently as his children were chatting about their fictional dog."

"I want it to be beautiful and playful! I could brush its fur!" Sansa said. To which Arya nodded "Yes playful and huuuge. It should look like a wolf! Like StarkCo’s wolf!" Suddenly Bran stood from his chair, still too tall for his small body.

"That’s it! If we tell mommy that a dog can make us happy and that it can embody our family name then she’ll say yes for sure! StarkCo has a wolf on its logo. We all have a small medallion with a wolf engraved. It would only be … coherent. Right daddy?"

Ned sighed. "It could be a nice argument." He paused. "But you should forget about this dog kids, it’s not happening." Once more he saw the disappointment on their faces. "Now, homework."

They cleaned the table and the snacks were replaced by notebooks, rubbers, glitter pens, and all other kinds of useless writing material. He sat at the end of the table monitoring them as a teacher would, anything could distract them. A peaceful silence filled the room and Ned took out his laptop to work as well. He saw the last email and his mind went Roose Boltons. Ever since that clause, their relations were very strained and he hoped Catelyn’s meeting with the man this afternoon was going well.

As every Friday, Maege, Robett, Rodrik Cassel, Catelyn, and himself met to discuss the Corporation and what happened over the week. Last Friday had been a surprise and Catelyn announced dreadful news. With the end of the year approaching, Stark Corporation had sent a new contract of fealty to all the corporations associated with the NCA - Northern Corps Allegiance. It aimed at securing the trades, but it was also a reminder of StarkCo’s role as leader of the NCA.

Bolton had sent back the clause but not how they had all expected. Catelyn had noticed the addition of a small paragraph concerning actions. It was what they had feared given the evolution of Bolton’s corporation. It had gotten bigger and more influential in the NCA, so Ned had wanted to give them more autonomy and asked in return for the exclusivity of his exports. Bolton’s new conditions could lead to the end of StarkCo.

The Corps worked on family inheritance, it had always worked so. His brother Brandon received the Corps from their father and when Brandon renounced to it, Ned inherited it. And Robb was supposed to inherit it. Bolton wanted to stop this system, he wanted to make StarkCo a company based on actions. Ned then recalled how the Lannisters had done that with small companies, leading them to their end and Tywin getting the big lot.

With his new clause, Bolton could be the one owning the biggest part of actions within the NCA. Thus, should anything happen to Ned, the inheritance would stop and Bolton would become Head of StarkCo. Signing this contract was signing for Bolton. 

"Daddy?" He looked up startled. "Yes, love?" She rose the book showing a picture. "Australopithecus had pets." He considered the tacky drawing which represented Australopithecus men gathered around a fire with wolves at their feet. "It seems they had."

She smirked deviously. "Then we can have a dog too." Ned smirked back at his daughter. "Are you an Australopithecus?" There was a silence and Sansa and Bran burst into laughter,Arya becoming red out of anger.

He crossed his arms satisfied with his joke as Bran and Sansa kept laughing, doing too much as always. "Arya is an Australopithecus, Arya is an Australopithecus" They sang again and again."Okay stop it. We had fun but now -" he was interrupted by the doorbell. "Oh, it must be Nan." Ned stood hastily looking at the clock. 4:30 already.

"Hello," Nan said smiling when Ned opened the door. "Hello Nan, come in. They’re doing their homework in the kitchen." He led the lady in the kitchen but truly it was her leading him, for she’d been in this house before he had been. It was easy to forget Nan had watched over him too; and now she was his kid’s nanny. She was more, she was family.

"I shall be gone for about an hour. Maybe two, there’s shopping to do." She nodded heading to the kitchen. "Catelyn?"

Ned gathered his things from the table. "I’ll be back before her. Oh, and Robb and Rickon aren’t here."

"I noticed."

He put on his coat looking for his keys. "Don’t give them snacks, they had some already. And- "

The lady interrupted him. "I have things under control, Ned. I’ll call you if I have a problem. Go now. Chap chap!"

He was halfway through the door when he turned around approaching Nan. "Don’t talk dogs with them. No dogs. They’ll coax you into it. Be adult. No dogs and no dog stories."

___________

"Now, now." Bran sighed closing his notebook. "Let’s get to the point. A dog" Sansa and Arya mimicked him straightening on their chairs. "Yes, a huge problem. How should we proceed…?"

"Proceed to what?" Bran jumped at the sound of Nan’s voice coming from behind him. "Uh… Understanding homework?"

He felt the heat coming up to his cheeks, he wasn’t good at lying. Nan sat beside him and stared at them, at the closed notebooks, then at his face.

"What are you hiding young Bran?"

He bobbed his head. "Nothing Nan."

"Lies." She took her old phone out of her pocket. "I could tell you three were plotting all the way back to the front door." Bran looked intently as the woman scrolled through her photo library. _What is she thinking?_ Then she stopped and looked up. "Don’t tell your parents."

His eyes widened, for this was not a thing often heard from adults. Sansa and Arya were equally surprised by the statement. _Not tell daddy and mommy?_ Curiosity gnawed at him and he rose his hand. "Scout’s honor!"

"Aye" Sansa added.

His sisters came around the table to watch the screen. There was a picture of a man standing in bright daylight, he had wild hair and at his feet, lay a big furry white dog. The picture was blurry. "Who is… " Understanding struck him and he looked more intently at the picture. The man was unmistakably his father.

"Ready for another?" Nan said. She swiped on the screen, and multiple faces appeared. He studied the faces, there was his aunt Lysa, uncle Ben, uncle Brandon, his father with the same dog at the end of the leash. And… "Sansa, Arya look!" Nan laughed as she zoomed on his mother’s face barely visible so much her red hair covered half her face. She was kneeling beside the dog with her head resting against the dog’s white fur.

"Your mother liked MacTíre a lot in the old days." Sansa watched the screen in awe in her eyes. "She’s so prettyy. And daddy looks handsome! We never saw this picture before!"

She shrugged. "I took it for your uncle Ben’s eighteenth birthday." Sansa frowned. Bran knew right away why; he counted on his fingers to make sure. "They weren’t married yet."

Nan shook her head. "But soon to be."

Sansa took her eyes off the screen. "Aunt Lysa once told me mommy used to love someone else before daddy." Arya stared at her, shocked. "No. She only loved daddy."

She whirled around to look at Old Nan for confirmation. "Lysa told me mommy almost got married to someone else! I am not lying. If you were there you must know I’m telling the truth."

"Mommy can’t love someone else than daddy Sansa! Why would you say that; it’s horrible!" Arya wailed. Nan put the phone back in her pocket. "This is a tale for another day children. If you want to know you should politely ask your parents. Today only matters, and that dog you want." She paused. "You now know it is _possible_ to have a dog." Bran shook the idea of his mother loving anyone else than his father away and focused on a plan to get the puppy.

"Whose dog was it? MacTíre, right?"

"Yes, Bran. He was a family dog. He was your father’s, Benjen’s, Brandon’s, and Lyanna’s."

Bran sat back in his chair thinking of a way to get the dog; He’d learned in the scout summer camp that a true scout anticipated his opponent’s next move. He had to think ahead of his parents. "They will expect us to beg for this dog."

Sansa sighed. "Bran stop being an adult and talk like the six years old you are, please."

He stuck out his tongue. "It is not difficult to understand, Sansa. Please understand like the ten years old you pretend to be." He closed his eyes. "Daddy knows we want a dog. We told him it was our dearest wish. And he will tell mommy, and from then any begging will be useless. So, instead of begging, we will make sure that they’re the ones with the idea of offering us a dog."

"And how do we do that? " Arya retorted.

"We pretend to be miserable, bored, sad. But we should never ask directly for a puppy." Nan laughed at him "Oh Brandon Stark. You’re too smart for your own good."

 _She might be a spy_. "Nan! Scout’s honor you won’t tell our parents!" She laughed again. "I promise you, Bran."

Bran smiled proudly at how his plan was coming together. He knew he was the smartest at coaxing his parents, it wasn’t difficult truly. His brothers and sisters couldn’t think like himself, silently, patiently waiting.

He had observed a lot his family and he knew how to get what he wanted without whining at all. The first person to fall for his tricks was his father, it was too easy. They called him the Old Wolf back at StarkCo because he truly was a boss at ruling it but at home, Bran knew he was far too trusty and almost naive. He couldn’t recall the number of times he avoided brushing teeth or doing homework just because it was his father watching him. On the other hand, the most difficult one to convince was definitely his mother. She knew, she just knew when they were lying or plotting something. Robb said once she had a sixth sense and Bran believed in that a little more every day.

To have her thinking they needed a dog was to be a tough task but he was ready. The true problems were his brothers and sisters who couldn’t keep a secret.

"Bran, I don’t know if they will think of it. How are they supposed to get us a puppy if they don’t know we want one?" Sansa insisted.

"I told you daddy knows. And I don’t know, we’ll stare at dogs in the street. Watch movies with dogs. Read books about dogs. But we will never say: "we want a dog". And then daddy and mommy will talk and they’ll think about offering us one for Christmas."

"Christmas?!" Arya cried "But that’s a month away!"

"Yes well, it is either a month, either never." He crossed his arms. "Daddy has seen us. He knows already, we’ll only work on their patience."

"The only thing you’ll walk on Bran is their nerves." Sansa declared standing.

"But you’ve seen how cool they look with MacTíre! I’m sure they want a dog too, deep down."

Sansa rolled her eyes and it pissed Bran so much it reminded him of their mother. Right before leaving the room, she said: "You know they are upset at the moment. I don’t think they will notice anything. Besides, they are always thinking about their stupid work. I’m telling you, we’ll never get the dog." And she disappeared in the other room.

Sansa was right. The atmosphere hadn’t been the same for the past few weeks. They said it was because of work, that it was very difficult at the end of every year. And he heard of a Mister Bolton threatening his parents’s corporation. But it was more than that, he noticed his father caring much more for them than he had before. His mother however spent less time home. She came home late, Bran could tell she wasn’t herself. He didn’t understand, but he knew it wasn’t good.

"Bran" Arya called.

"I hope she’s wrong." He nodded. _I hope she’s wrong too_. He grabbed his notebook, there was still homework to do.

____________

The day had been exhausting, and if not for Robb and Rickon telling her about their day, she would have fallen asleep. Drive had been beyond her ability so she had called Ned to pick her up. The street lamps were slowly but surely rocking her to sleep.

"We’re here love." Ned said as he parked the car in the alley. Catelyn wished she could stay on this seat a little bit more but instead she gathered her strength to find her keys in the bottomless pit she called bag. The clinking only accentuated the headache she had had the entire day.

Rickon ran past her once the door was open, he kicked his shoes off, threw his school bag on the floor, and sprinted to the kitchen. "I’m hooome!"

« You’re welcome » she muttered closing the door behind Robb.

The meeting with Roose Bolton had been shorter than she would have believed or liked. They had talked nonsense for a good thirty minutes until their talk had turned into a battle over who was more right. At last, Maege put an end to the meaningless meeting and planned a new one for the following week.

Everyone was tired and StarkCo never worked too well at the end of the year, the employees were tired, worried, and sickened. _Bolton must have known that_. Furthermore, the winter snows began and were a bitter reminder of Santa’s period. Santa’s stressing, burdening period.

Sometimes she dreamed of having another job, one that provided sufficient money for her family, she dreamed of having an easier life. But when she wedded Eddard Stark, she inevitably wedded StarkCo. Of course, she had gotten used to the frightening rhythm of life it all implied as well as the spotlights it attracted. The corporations were like a real-life tv show with families fighting with and against one another. She let Ned take the coat off her. _Thank the gods for him_. Lost in her thoughts, the feeling of arms coming around her made her jump. The warmth and comfort it brought her had her sighing. She leaned back and rested her head against him. Ned then pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. "It’s okay, we’re home now."

When her eyes opened again, her gaze set on her sons's schoolbags at her feet. With all the strength she had, she summoned them. "Robb! Rickon! Homework! »

Without ever allowing Ned to take his arms from around her, she eyed as her sons came to pick their bags from where they threw them in the entrance.

At last and reculantly Catelyn left her husband and walked into the kitchen. All but Sansa were around the table, bent over their notebooks. Old Nan sat calmly at the end of the table knitting whatever Christmas pullover she was knitting.

"Hello everyone."

"Mommy!!" Arya jumped off her chair to throw herself at her. "Daddy said you wouldn’t be here before dinner!" There was a wide grin on her face and Catelyn could see genuine concern in her daughter’s eyes. Catelyn sat where Arya had been and pulled her to her lap, kissing her chubby cheek. "How was your day sweetling?"

"Long, long, long. Miss Mordane said that with the days getting shorter it felt like school was longer but it wasn’t. But she’s wrong, I mean we get out of the house, it’s dark, we come back, it’s dark. It was so looong."

Catelyn listened carefully as she looked at her notebook. "I know it is difficult sweetling. And you are all very brave, school is not easy at this time of the year." Arya nodded taking her latest grade out. "Where’s Sansa, Nan?"

"She went to her room some time ago. I made sure she was done with her homework." Catelyn wanted to go to her room too. She acknowledged Nan’s answered and focused back on Arya’s test. "Look, mommy. I got almost everything right. Miss Mordane said it was really good."

All of a sudden, Arya had decided she would work this year in school, and she was very good at it. Not only had she stopped hating school but she actually seemed to enjoy it. At least, it wasn’t "torture" anymore. "Well done sweetie! I’m proud of you."

"Mom, what are we having for diner?" Robb questioned holding his middle. "I’m starving."

"You’re already hungry? I’ll ask your father." She got up, setting Arya back on the chair. "Nan, thank you. Could you come an hour earlier tomorrow?"

"Yes of course. Good evening everyone!" She walked the lady to the door thanking her again and hugged herself when the wind engulfed itself in the entrance. Then she hurried upstairs and got startled by her eldest daughter sitting on her bed and reading a book.

"Mom!"

"Hello, darling." She climbed on the bed next to her daughter pressing a kiss to her head. "Where is your father?" Sansa shrugged so Catelyn sighed and let herself fall backward on the mass of pillow. "Hmm, I’ve dreamed of that all day." Sansa closed her book, putting it aside, and curled herself against her. "What were you reading sweetling?"

"Warrior Cats."

"Oh? How far are you?"

"You know when the cats must team up despite their differences because there’s a new dog in the house right by their forest?"

"Yes, I recall that. Dog’s name is Lucky right?"

"How did you know?"

"Robb read it before you did darling. I know all about Firestar or Graystripe. Which one do you like best?"

"I don’t think I’m into cats. I like Lucky, he’s a very sweet dog." She closed her eyes once more bringing her daughter closer. "I have to take a quick shower. Could you tell your father to start preparing diner, it appears we’re all very hungry. And you must all go to bed early tonight." Catelyn rose and headed to what was to be the most blissful shower.

As hot water slid along her tired muscles Catelyn thought about the Corps. Refusing Bolton’s conditions might lead to him retiring from the NCA. It would affect badly the NCA and StarkCo, the economy would fall. It wouldn’t be enough to bring them down but enough to weaken them a lot. Then she thought about creating a new contract, one where she could ensure Robb’s future as Head of StarkCo. It was a plausible possibility, but all the Corps would have to sign it before Bolton’s contract.

She recalled the meeting from the last Friday when she understood the stakes of this contract. _Ned if anything happens to you StarkCo goes down. The Corps will never allow a twelve-year-old to become Head, no matter all the people taking care of it for him. Thus based on actions, Bolton would be Head. He’ll come for you. Oh, Ned, he had it all planned_. Signing the contract was a highway for Bolton to be the leader of the NCA.

"I do recall telling you this home was no place for work." Catelyn whirled around to see Ned going through the closet. "What are you looking for?"

"Bandages. Sansa got a little cut." She resumed her hair washing. « Maybe we could talk to the Corps about the Robb contract. StarkCo has always been at the head of the NCA, surely they’ll support you? And furthermore, if the NCA protests against Roose, the Corps would never risk defending Bolton, would they? »

Ned considered the thought. « Yes, we’ll probably have to involve the other Corps. With your family ties, we surely have enough pressure to be helped. Jon Arryn and Hoster Tully have been Heads for longer than Tywin or Mace Tyrell."

« And Martells don’t like Tywin, we can have their support. »She added.

« We have to be careful though, if Roose knows we’ve discovered his intentions, he will act. Or he might even go to Tywin Lannister for support. » Ned straightened triumphal with the bandages in hand. He came closer to her, his grey eyes stared right into hers. She detected worry and amusement in them. "But as I’ve said, your shower is no time for work talks." He pecked her lips. "Take your time, diner isn’t ready at all." Catelyn stared lovingly after him for a moment, the water still running hot on her shoulder blades. The shower had been effective and she felt better than when she had come home.

As she sat at the diner table, Catelyn noticed that her children were barely talking, which was quite a rare thing; she looked up, they were silent and mannerly eating. No yells, no fights, no mean words at each other. She glanced at her husband in front of her, he had noticed too but just shrugged his shoulders.

"Mommy, may I have more potatoes please?" _May? Please?_ This was absolutely not her youngest daughter’s vocabulary. She eyed the table and the glare Bran threw at his sister confirmed her doubt of something happening. Something everyone was aware of, except her.

"Of course. Anyone else?" Rickon handed her his plate "Yes please."

"What’s going on here? Is everything okay?"

Bran smiled at her. "Yes of course. Why mommy?"She narrowed her eyes at him. "You’re very silent." Rickon giggled beside her. "School was tiring. And daddy’s potatoes are so good I can’t even begin to think of talking."Catelyn put it aside in a corner of her mind, she’d ask Ned later.

"Ned, I’ve sent the texts for Christmas. Almost all responses are positive, Lysa and Benjen haven’t answered yet. … We’ll be around twenty." She said the last part of her sentence more gently. Twenty was enormous. With all the messy divorces and stepfamilies, the Starks and Tullys were a huge family.

"Twenty?!" Ned stopped eating. "Where are they even going to sleep? We don’t have room for them. Wait, it makes… almost thirteen or so more beds. Have you counted Lysa, Robin, and Benjen? We don’t have fifteen beds."

"I don’t know Ned, I don’t know." Appetite was gone. Catelyn watched the bewilderment in her children’s eyes. They had wanted a huge Christmas this year since it had been only the seven of them the past year. And she could offer her children a big Christmas, but what she couldn’t afford were presents for twenty people. The idea of doing a Secret Santa between adults crossed her mind, it could be a good alternative.

"Cat… I just remembered. I told Rodrik to come with his daughter and nephew. He said they were alone."

She sighed waving the trouble away. "Nevermind, of course they’ll come. But we just can’t house them." Ned refilled her glass with wine. "They live a few streets away. It’ll be okay I guess." It felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders, she had no right to feel like this, but she did. And she couldn’t ignore the tightness in her throat that threatened to break into a sob at any moment.

Thankfully Robb started a conversation about school and the attention was drawn somewhere else.

Rickon tugged at her sleeve, he had left his chair and stood at the foot of hers. Catelyn lifted him up to her lap holding him close. The massive red curls against her chest hid his face entirely, she could only spot his favorite teddy Mr.Mooch in his arms. "You’re not hungry sweetling?"

He shook his head. She wouldn’t usually allow one of her kids not to sit properly during diner but the truth was that she craved for this embrace just as much as Rickon. "It’s okay not to be okay mommy." She looked at her youngest, his blue eyes on her. Then she wondered what he saw in her, and what got him so say something so right. "You’re right baby." She held onto him tightly then. And held onto him until he was in a deep slumber in his bed.

____________

Never before had he been so stressed about Christmas. The Bolton affair had destroyed the remainders of his strength. And now, Christmas presents. He followed Cat befuddled through the busy aisles. There were some remarkable trinkets, dress goods, jewelry, clothes, accessories. Each stand held a new treasure which was brightened by the lights spots dancing around the store. Catelyn cared little for these he knew, but people were utterly amazed by the valuables here.

"Why on earth did we come here the weekend right before Christmas Ned? Why?" He just kept pushing the cart filled with cheap construction games and dolls for the children. "To whom do we offer a present already?" She added.

"We don’t. We pay for the food Cat. It’s enough." She stopped her frenetic pace. "What are we going to offer the children? Wait, wait, let me see." She pulled out the gift for Jon, for Robin, for Minisa, for Rodrik’s daughter, and then stared wordlessly at the ridiculous plastic jewels at the bottom of the cart. "We have nothing. Nothing. They made lists, but Ned, Robb wants basketball match tickets, Sansa wants horses, Arya and Bran want trips to Essos and Rickon wants wolves. What has gotten into them? Why can’t they want dolls and video games?"

Ned came around the cart and rested his hands on her shoulders. "We’ll find something my love. How about we have a nice and warm tea at the cafeteria?" A few moments later he gazed at the satisfied smile on his wife’s face as she sipped the burning liquid. "Better?" She hummed, taking her eyes off the cup only to refill it. "So, do we have an idea?" She whispered blowing the steam from the tea.

Ned had one. He had this idea for weeks. He’d been surprised the kids hadn’t mentioned it again. _CitizenCanine_. He’d been almost sure the kids would babble about a dog for weeks after that but they hadn’t mentioned it at all, only briefs allusions. The presents list however told him they had not forgotten at all. He wondered then if Cat knew.

"Put the tea down."

"What?"

"Put the tea down Cat. I might have an idea." Ned took a deep breath. "Do you remember MacTíre?"

"Of course I do, he was a good…" she paused "No. Absolutely no."

"But Cat, they… — No. — It’s a really … — No. — Cat. — No! No Ned, we’re not having a _DOG_!"

"If you would please listen to me." She crossed her arms staring at him. "Alright, speak. Traitor."

"I grew up with a dog. It was amazing. And honestly, it isn’t that crazy. I know the kids are dreaming of having one. What’s a dog… and it’s a cool Christmas present."

"What’s a dog? Are you kidding me? It’s worse than a child Ned!

Then it became a personal matter. It was not about getting a dog to his children anymore, it was about convincing his wife and win the argument. "Okay, give me five reasons."

"Five? I have hundreds. First, uh who’s going to take care of it? I mean, you and I both work, the kids will take it outside like what? Two weeks, then it’ll be brought upon us. Second, I have furniture that I’d like to keep for some more years. Thirdly, it’s expensive! And I don’t mean the dog, all the cares? Veterinarian, food, and all? Fourth, uh, how do we go away? Who’s keeping the dog on holiday? No. And a fifth reason, hold on tight, it’s a very good reason, I’m allergic!"

Ned pouted as his sons would, it usually worked. "No, you’re not. You weren’t allergic to Tíre."

"Is this what caught your attention? Hello, Ned! A dog is a huge responsibility, one our children are not ready to endure. And I don’t want to take care of a dog. I’ve got enough to care for. And it pees, it stinks, it barks. No, I’m not going through that. I like other people’s dogs. That’s it."

Ned knew she was right, but he also knew their family could be really happy with a dog. "I have two reasons as to why we should have a dog. No three." Catelyn sighed. "We don’t have a Christmas present and it could do five in one. Second, dogs make humans happy. Cat, above everything else, I really think it could do you some good." He took her hand in his. "Do us some good."

"I don’t need anything to do me some good. I have our children, and you. I don’t need anything else. And certainly not a dog. It’s not a child. Not our child."

Ned could see the moist in the river blue eyes he loved so dearly. "I know. But just think about how happy the kids could be. Do you honestly think they haven’t been giving hints for weeks? Wolves for Rickon? All the extravagant presents they asked? Only for us to see that a dog isn’t so much." She scoffed looking away. "It’s a life commitment. It can be ten years of commitment, even fifteen. Because if you’re having a dog Eddard Stark, you’re not giving it up."

"And who knows, we might have a Rin Tin Tin, a Lassie or a Hatchi?"

"Or just an ordinary family dog… Oh my gods, why am I even having this conversation? Let’s just forget about this for now." She took out her agenda on a blank page. "Menu Mr. Stark. What shall we have for Christmas Eve?"

"Well, you of course." She blushed and Ned laughed at the beautiful red shade that spread all the way down past her scarf. It matched the red of her hair and it was adorable. "Turkey. We’ll have turkey Cat."

The next moment was blissful. The worries of Christmas were forgotten as Ned and his wife simply sat at the department store’s cafeteria for a long time, talking about life. He hadn’t felt so good in a long time. They weren’t Eddard and Catelyn ruling StarkCo, they weren’t parents of five, they were just Ned and Cat.

He lost count of the tea cups she drank, he lost count of the time, and moreover, he lost count of the love he bore for her. Reciprocally, Catelyn seemed to enjoy herself, he hadn’t seen a real smile on her face in weeks… since… And to see her so carefree and smiling was the only Christmas present he wanted.

 _Ladies and gentlemen, the regional Winterfell store informs you that the store will close in 30 minutes. Please go to the cashier on the ground floor to make your purchases_. A voice echoed in the store.

Ned took his eyes off the mesmerizing woman who was his wife and noticed people hurrying to the elevators. He took out his phone. "Oh my, Cat, it’s 7:00 pm already." The speed with which she stood scared him. "I have four missed calls from Nan. Oh, dear. We’ll never be home for diner with all those people!"

____________

He could see all the presents wrapped from where he sat at the diner table. No one here believed in Santa, only Rickon and his small cousin Minisa, they had all promised not to spoil it to them. Bran knew better, Bran knew from the size which present was from who. One thing was sure, there was no dog under the Christmas tree or anywhere else in the house. If they weren’t getting a dog for Christmas then they wouldn’t have a dog at all. He had promised everyone they’d be getting one, now… he didn’t know.

Bursts of laughter caught his attention, his parents and uncles and aunts were joking about adult stuff and mocking people from the Corporations. He gazed at the children part of the table, all staring equally cluelessly at the adults. Sansa tired of not being the center of attention stood and went around the table. "Mommy, when are we having dessert. We’ve been sitting for hours…"

"You need to digest that turkey a bit before stuffing yourself with lemon and chocolate cakes darling."

"Yes, but … the presents…"

"Oh, I see." Bran watched as his mother leaned toward Grandpa Hoster. _should_ … _tonight or tomorrow?_ Usually, they opened the presents in the evening rather than in the morning, but with so many people he wondered which it would be.

"Ned! Have some more wine!" Insisted uncle Brandon pouring the red liquid. "Have some too Lysa, you look like you need it!"

Bran didn’t like his uncle Brandon ever since they had asked about their mother’s past. A few weeks ago Sansa had asked Old Nan if their mother had been in love and he refused to believe it. But when they asked one evening during diner, both their father and mother said yes. They said it was meaningless, it had no importance. They said it was uncle Brandon, but it was in high school. Bran couldn’t understand everything but he knew that ever since, neither himself nor his siblings had talked to him. And he smelled like cigarettes.

« … And then the teacher said I was the bravest! » Bran had stopped listening to Robb’s story the third time he recited it, now it was the hundredth. He had once volunteered in school to be punished after someone had stolen pokemon cards and the class wouldn’t start again until someone actually admitted stealing. Bran had heard people talking of his mother yelling at the teacher for her ways of teaching theft and blame. She scolded the poor lady until the woman actually apologized to Robb and the whole class. After class, another kid had come to the teacher secretly and admitted everything.

As always, their mother watched Robb talk with awe and pride in her eyes. Uncle Brynden did too. « And do you know who stole the cards? » Robb shook his head. « No one knows. But the cards are with his rightful owner! »

« Show off. » Lyanna snorted. « And what about your grades dear little nephew? » Bran grinned when he saw his brother go pale. Robb was kind and brave, there was no denial in it, but he also liked to get in trouble and school wasn’t his priority. He knew Robb was being yelled at for his grade lowering. On the other hand, Jon had excellent grades. His cousin was a head and kind and brave, and unlike Robb very shy and silent.

Robb sat back in his chair and lowered his head trying to avoid at all cost their parent’s eyes. « They’re okay. »

Sansa laughed, taking it as an opportunity to speak « Robb gets yelled at all the time. » They had witnessed many of Robb’s homecoming that ended up with everyone yelling. The last time being in the last few days.

Robb had come back home with a bloodied nose, bloodied shirt, and wide grin. Their mother had been horrified and they found out after that he’d intentionally went playing soccer with his friends to get dirty to avoid any focus on his grades. Then, inevitably, they found the E and F written in large capital letters on his tests.

Brynden laughed - but it was more a bark - at Sansa’s comment, his eyes never leaving Robb, whose face was red. « He slams doors! And he yells to wake the entire house! And -… »

« Sansaa! Shut up! » Robb pushed her on the shoulder, her hand flew to her shoulder and she looked at him scandalized. « Don’t hit me! »

« I didn’t hit you baby! »

« I’m not a baby! »

« Robb. Sansa. » His mother didn’t say anything else but the message was there and effective, for both of his siblings looked down.

Everyone’s focus drifted back to how his father managed to get one hour late because he took the subway in the wrong direction when getting the turkey this afternoon.

"And now, is it time for Christmas anecdotes?" Roared Edmure with little Minisa jumping on his lap. Christmas anecdotes, they were torture and hilarious at the same time. Everyone asked one story about themselves to someone. It was an all-night-long game that Bran feared if they ever wanted to open the presents.

Arya rose her hand first. "Mommy! What was it I said when I was small when we went to Hornwood? About the car?" She was smiling widely. "Arya asked me if the wheels of the car could get dizzy from going round and round all the time!" She giggled bringing a piece of cake to her mouth. "You even forced Leona Manderly, Maege Mormont, and I to stop the car to make sure the wheels got enough rest." Grandpa Rickard laughed his heart out as Sansa looked utterly shocked. "Arya! How old were you?" She shrugged her shoulders and grinning at their mother. "She was about four."

Uncle Benjen grinned. "And a story about baby Robb?" Robb blushed and shook his head. "Please, mom, I have a reputation." To everyone’s surprise, it was their father who talked. "I have one. It’s a cute one. Robb was almost three when we told him he’d have a sibling. He wasn’t happy at all and would always come to Catelyn whining. He’d tell her he’d be good and helpful if she just gave the baby away. Later, when Sansa was born and I told Robb he had a baby sister he cried very very loudly. He asked me if Catelyn would love his baby sister more because she was a girl too. And then he saw Sansa and promised he’d always protect her. »

« Awww, that’s cutie Robbie! » Arya grinned even more now. Sansa scoffed and raised her eyebrow at Robb. « He has a hard time keeping his promise. He orders me around because he is ‘older’ and he is awful, and then whenever dad or mom comes he’s the sweetest. He often does that. »

« Liar, that’s you! You always do that! You are insufferable and you go crying to mom saying I hurt you and all. »

Once more a debate between Robb and Sansa started. But uncle Edmure quickly interrupted them by standing and raising a toast for the marvelous diner.The speech was long; so very long. Bran felt his head was heavy, and his eyelids were heavy too. Rickon was sitting beside him, he was dozing on his chair too. "Hey, Rickon. Wanna ask the parents about the presents, or we’ll never get them with this stupid game?" Instantly his brother straightened and rose his hand as he learned in class.

"Yes sweetling?" said their mother in the cheesiest voice.

"When do we open our presents? Has Santa come by yet?"

Grandpa Hoster stood. "Wait young Rickon." he rose his glass, Bran groaned. _Please, not another speech_. "Thank you Ned for having us all. Thank you to my incredible daughter who went through a lot of trouble to prepare us this wonderful meal, and for being a wonderful hostess, thank you for Edmure’s speech."People cheered. "Now, children and grown-ups will all clean the table except for Cat, Ned, and Lyanna who did all the cooking!"

"What?"

"Seriously?"

"Oh great."

_____________

Ned sat patiently on the leather couch as people unwrapped their presents one by one. He gazed at his children rushing to the gifts with their names written on it and screaming. Meanwhile, the fire was constantly fed by the wrapping papers they’d all spent so much time on. _Gifts drive children crazy_.

Right beside him, Cat watched in wonder her babes when they came up to her showing her their latest present. They were proudly showing it to everyone before going to kiss the person thank you. It went: "look mommy! It’s the bow I wanted" or "Mommy! Daddy! Santa got me what I wanted!"

Catelyn received a premium subscription to the opera for the season from her father. She loved opera but it was so expensive she never had the chance to go. So she yelled at him for this madness but he only patted her cheek. "You deserve it little Cat" he’d said. Roslin and Lysa were green. Ned was offered a rare bottle of whiskey by Edmure, it was from Meereen and seemed exquisite.

With all the hustle and bustle of presents, Christmas songs, warm chocolate cakes and all, Ned found it to be the perfect moment to offer his wife his gift. He took the chain that had been safely in his pocket out. Ned wrapped his arm around Catelyn’s shoulder, to what she responded by leaning against him.

"I honestly can’t wait to shut all lights and go to sleep." She whispered. He let the chain slid from his hand and attached it around her neck. The cold of the pearls startled her.

"Ned, what are you doing?" Her hand flew to her neck.

"Merry Christmas my love." She ran her fingers over the pearls attached to her neck. "They were my mother’s". The dim light of the garlands hit the imperfect curves of each pearl, making them even more perfect. He smiled down at her, she was breathless and the white pearls echoed the sparkle in her eyes. "But I - I didn’t get you anything…" He laughed. "Every day with you is a gift Cat." She was the one to laugh this time. "You’re so cheesy my love. But, thank you. Truly." She was about to kiss him when two feminine voices ruined the moment.

"Catelyn!" Lysa and Lyanna shouted at the same time. "What are thooose?" They pointed at Cat’s neck. "This ladies is a gift from my husband." She said standing up. "What? Oh my god, this is so unfair. We said only one present per adult."

Ned sat back in the couch and watched content as everyone examined the pearls with wonder. Then he noticed his children from the corner of his eyes, there were no more gifts under the Christmas tree. And none had pointed out that they hadn’t received anything from Catelyn and himself. His wife exchanged a knowing look with him while everyone focused on the pearls...

Careful not to draw attention, Ned got up waving at Brynden to come. Both men went outside in the dead cold night to Blackfish’s car.

"So, how did you convince her? I couldn’t believe it when you called me."

"Told her the kids would entirely forget about us. And we’d have more time."

"Argument from authority" he said winking.

Brynden opened the car trunk, revealing tons of blankets. Ned raised his eyebrows so much the blankets hid everything else. But then he heard it - him. "So what is it anyway?" Ned lifted the small bundle in his arms. "Hello, buddy. Hi there. It’s a bohemian shepherd. Jon Umber called me when he heard we were looking for a dog. His aunt’s dog just had a litter. Thank you for picking him up."

"You’re welcome, Ned. I’d do anything to see Cat with a dog. The Umber lady told me it was rare to have a bohemian shepherd. It kinda looks like a wolf." Ned smiled. "We’re Starks, aren’t we? We’re not the type to have a German Spitz. But bohemian shepherds are perfect for families. Cat and I have been doing lots of researches."

The cutest sound came from the blanket Ned was holding. The puppy was staring at him expectantly and probably freezing. "Let’s go, buddy."

Catelyn was waiting in the darkness of the entrance. "You’ve got it?" Ned nodded "It’s him." She shook her head. "I don’t care. Come on."

Brynden went to the living room and gathered the people. Meanwhile, in the darkness of the corridor, Catelyn approached the blanket curiously. "At least it is cute." she paused "I can’t believe this is happening. Eddard Stark, you owe me a big one." Then she linked her arm with his and led him to their family. People stood silently when they saw the bundle of covers in his arms.

Then he did the cute little barking sound again. Within the second all children were surrounding him and Catelyn. "Easy there. Please everyone sit down and be calm."

Ned kneeled on the floor and opened the blanket which revealed the cutest fur ball ever. The puppy had its eats pointed upward, frightened by all the people around, he took a few steps back to Ned.

His children were already trying to have the puppy approach them, especially Robb and Bran. Sansa and Arya were nearly fainting out of pure joy. As for Rickon, the poor little guy sprinted to Catelyn, unsure of whether to be happy or scared.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, mommy and daddy!" The children kept repeating. Ned caught sight of Jon, Robin, and Minisa equally amazed.

"What’s his name dad?" Robb asked. "He doesn’t have one yet. We’ll decide together."

Ever since it had entered the room, the puppy had caught everyone’s attention. He seemed totally lost but his interest had been picked by the ball Arya was throwing all around the living room. Ned was happy to have a dog, more than he would have believed.

In less than an hour, all kids and the puppy were exhausted from running, from the magnificent Christmas Eve they spent. They carried them all to bed and gave them a thousand goodnight kisses, and they received a thousand thanks.

At last, when the lights were out, Ned climbed to his room with the sleeping puppy in his arms. When Catelyn came out of their bathroom she froze. He took a moment to appreciate how her red hair was loose around her face, how the silky nightgown hugged her curves perfectly and how the pearl rested perfectly on her chest.

"Ned, what is it doing on my bed?" He looked up innocently into her eyes. "The puppy? Where do you want him to sleep? All his stuff is in my car. And we can’t let the children sleep with him yet?"

"It’s not sleeping on our bed." Catelyn approached the bed staring at the puppy. "Ned, I am not fighting over this now, so for tonight only. But it sleeps on the floor. Then I never want to see it on my bed ever again. Or in my room, understood?"

Ned smirked and patted the bed beside him. "Come Ô magnificent hostess. I promise I won’t let the puppy sleep here ever again." She slid under the covers beside him and sighed in satisfaction. Ned wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer to him, seeking her warmth. " Now, I don’t believe I had my Christmas present, Mrs. Stark."

"No Ned. I’m exhausted. And you don’t deserve any presents. I do. And I’m not making love to you with a dog right there on the bed. Goodnight darling, and merry Christmas."

He was stunned, he’d expected many things but not this. Rather quickly Ned stood from the bed and lifted the puppy from the middle of the bed to the large armchair facing the bed. He hurried back under the covers.

"And now?" Catelyn laughed as she turned in bed. "It can see us."

Ned grabbed the sheet and threw it over both their heads, they had little light but it was enough to perceive the smile on her face as he pushed himself over her. "And now?"

Her arms came around his neck pulling him to her, Ned melted in her touch after the long day spent with fifteen other people he didn’t care about. He leaned and kissed the tender skin of her neck. Lust grew in his entire body. All that mattered was her, her smile, her touch — and tragically the puppy yelping to get attention in the middle of their lovemaking.


	2. Shaggydog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do the Starks deal with this new dog?  
> (temporality is not very precise :) but it doesn't really matter)

\-----

It was the most ridiculous name ever. She was ashamed to call the puppy that. They should all be ashamed. Sansa watched again the small paper her father had picked in the bowl, there had been over ten names, and it had to be this one: Shaggydog.

Rickon was bouncing on the couch happy it was his name that had been picked, meanwhile everyone stared at the little puppy sitting before the couch.

"Ned. We can’t call it that."

"Shaggydog has been picked. We can’t change it…No matter how much we want."

Arya kneeled beside the puppy to pet his head. "Greywind would have been so much better. Or Kira, or even Ghost… but Shaggydog?" Sansa went to sit next to her sister to pet the puppy too. "Dad, mom, do something?"

They both shook their head, her father seemed defeated and her mother just had a small grin at the corner of her lips. The dog - Shaggydog had been here for over a week and she hadn’t even picked him up, or petted him, or said "he" instead of "it". On the other hand, Shaggydog was interested in her and followed her around, he seemed to understand she was the one filling his bowl.

"Shaggydog it is then."

She lay on the carpet complaining and thinking about how much it would be awful to say to her friends she had a dog called Shaggydog. She had proposed Kira and Bart, and even her father had liked the names.

"Time for bed sweetlings. I want to see you all clean and in your beds in ten minutes." Her mother stood picking Rickon up with her. She made a face. "Whatever it is you did, you’re getting a bath young man." Her brother laughed pointing at the dog. "I played with Shaggy all afternoon! And we played in the garden with sticks and balls!"

They had all played, but Rickon acted as if he was a dog himself. He went into the mud, stepped into the pup’s poop, sweated like the pup. Sansa had brushed the pup’s fur and cuddled with it. She could tell the smell was already starting to set on the furniture at home, her mother tried very hard not to mention it.

Half an hour later, while she was reading Warrior Cats in her bed, her mom knocked peeking inside. "All ready to sleep sweetlings?" Sansa turned her head to Arya who was already half asleep, but on the carpet. Within a second her mother was carrying her to the bed, tucking her under the covers. Then she was sitting on her own bed.

" You have a test tomorrow. You should get some sleep."

She nodded putting the book aside and lifting her arms to get a hug. The embrace was warm and Sansa loved how their hair just mixed together and how one couldn’t tell to whom it belonged. "Are we really calling him Shaggydog?"

"I believe we are." Sansa pulled away to look at her. "What names did you put in the bowl?" She shook her head. "I didn’t put names, Sansa. It was for you to choose the name. Dad didn’t put any names either."

"Oh. But what would you have liked to call him?" Sansa knew her mother didn’t care what the pup was called. "Maybe Lucky? Like in your books?" She paused. "Because it doesn’t matter how much I don’t like the dog, it’s luck for me to see you children so happy with it."

"Him!"

"With him."

"We’ll have to work on that mom. You can’t keep calling him ‘it’". She laughed kissing her forehead. "Goodnight sweetling. And lights off."

Sansa picked the book up thinking about what her mother just said. She only cared for the dog because they cared for him. Shaggydog would have to be a very good dog if he wanted to be liked by her mother.

The following week the most beautiful thing happened to Sansa, her father came to pick them from school with Shaggy. All of her friends gathered around Shaggy to pet him and see him. Arya, Bran, and herself felt very proud when the pup came straight to them. He was beginning to be family for real. Just like in movies.

"Shaggy, to me Shaggy!" Sansa kneeled by her dog and lifted him up. Her overwhelming girlfriends were quickly shooed away by her father who could no longer stand the comments about Shaggy. "He is tired, he trained all afternoon with Jory."

"Trained?"

"Jory used to work in kennels. He offered to train him, which is absolutely necessary if you don’t want him to out."

Sansa jumped at the idea. "Why would he go away?" He laughed petting the pup’s head. "Because he was chewing your mother’s shoes yesterday." Arya and Bran made the same sound which was half a laugh, half a very fearful cry. "And he peed on the rug. He can’t stay alone too long yet. "

————

"It’ll be $180 ma’am. "

Catelyn nearly choked when she wrote the numbers on the check. $180, for a visit and vaccines. Veterinary visits would ruin her. But if only it was just this. No, they had to buy bowls, leashes, special pillows, anti-fleas products, and toys. But they also had to pay Jory, and at least twice more the maid who spent half of her hours taking fur off the couch, rugs, and her bed. Yes, her bed. Ever since Ned had allowed the dog to sleep in her room the first night, it begged and scratched at her door every night. And when she’d gone to the guest room to forget about the scratching and Ned’s snoring, it followed her and scratched again.

Catelyn truly disliked the dog. They all made a big deal about it, even Ned was eager to leave work to walk it. It barely needed to be walked since they had a garden. Ned’s voice came to her mind: _but Cat, he’ll end up bored all alone in the garden_. Since Christmas, she hadn’t had a chance to make love with her husband because of that damned dog, she hadn’t had a chance to rest at all when Ned had promised they’d have more time for themselves. And her children were not focused at all on their homework when they came home, because of the puppy. Her whole life was around it; and she didn’t like it.

Her phone rang just when she was leaving the veterinary cabinet. "Hello, Father."

_"How are you doing Cat? — Not well. I just spent $180 on a vaccine for the stupid dog. — I see. You’re alone? — Yes, obviously. No one else was available when it was about paying for it. — You bear your name well Cat. Cats and dogs are not known to be best friends. — Ha. Ha. Very funny, it’s not like I haven’t heard this joke every day since Christmas. Do you mind if I call you back? The dog is going frenzy about pigeons. — Of course, it was just about work. Bye, darling."_

She looked at the dog jumping around to catch pigeons. Then its interest was picked by a wooden stick. How could one be amazed by that? Sansa had nearly cried when the dog returned her a wooden stick. It’s not like it had invented the wheel.

"Come on. Those who love you will be wondering where you are when they get home." It barked at her and trotted along with her with a stick in its mouth. It was a stick coated in mud and drool. _Great, it’ll be fun to get back_.

As she turned around the corner she spotted another dog on the sidewalk. _Please no, no_. As expected the huge drooling ugly other dog barked at her dog. It was aggressive and apparently mad,even her dog yelped and stepped back.

"Easy there Drogon. Easy." Catelyn looked up when she heard the voice. " Miss Targaryen."

"Hello, Mrs. Stark!" The platinum blonde girl smiled widely at her, which was quite a bold move given what happened. She was so small and yet so bold. Over the Christmas Break, she heard Daenerys had threatened Robert. If he didn’t leave the SCA - South corporations allegiance- before summer, then she’d destroy him and his Corp. Just then her huge black bulldog or whatever aggressive breed it was, barked at the pup. She kneeled to lift the terrified pup in her arms.

"How are you doing Miss Targaryen? I believe we have a meeting next week, is this right?"

"We do! I’m good, just walking Drogon. I didn’t know you had a puppy."

"It’s my kids’s." The sarcasm in their voices was palpable. Robert was her friend and she couldn’t be nice to someone who had threatened him. If Ned had been with her now, he would have threatened to woman for insulting Robert. He would have threatened her non-existent Targaryen Corporation. This Corp was just ashes and disused offices now. "How come you are in Winterfell? I thought your quarters were in Dragonstone."

" I’m visiting Westeros, you know… trying to get the measure of what I’m dealing with. I was in Riverrun just yesterday. Lovely place." _Riverrun?_ If Daenerys Targaryen had been in her childhood city it could only mean she met with her father. _That’s what the call was probably about_.

"Of course." Just then Catelyn felt very small with the pup hiding its head in her large scarf. If Daenerys wanted to get the ‘measure’ of StarkCo, then she would have to tell Ned he had to be at his best. The bold blonde didn’t seem easily frightened.

"I’ll see you next week then." Daenerys nodded smiling, but Catelyn knew best then to trust smiles. She returned it and walked back to her car, the puppy napping in her arms. "Neither the place nor the time puppy. Let’s get you home.

———

Robb knew this would eventually happen. He’d always known, just like everyone else. He sat silently at the diner table with his siblings just as still while his parents were yelling. Right after getting Shaggydog, they did a schedule to organize themselves for the walks and his daily exercises, those had been the conditions. 

Rickon and he were supposed to let Shaggy go in the garden as soon as they got home from school, and they had played with him so he’d exercise. But school had been terrible, he received bad grades and Rickon got into a fight with his classmates, so when they came home they both went straight up to their rooms. Except, no one else was home. School was stupid, he hated it, he hated the teacher and how ridiculous tests were.

The last thing Robb remembered was his father yelling at Rickon and himself to come down. Robb had seen his parents and siblings standing in the middle of the living room. His father was furious while his mother was staring silently at the mess. And silence wasn’t good.

The ground floor was upside down, there was pee on the wooden parquet, there was poop on the beige rug, the pillows were ripped and their feathers scattered in the entire room. The vase was overturned, wetting all the books that were on the table. It was a true movie scene. But it was real. And it was his fault. And it was bad.

"Are you listening to me Robb?!" his father shouted. Robb jumped lowering his head. "It’s irresponsible what you did there. Do you realize that? First, you put your dog in danger. We've talked about it, you know that he needs to go out every day, no matter what. Otherwise, that's what's happening. And we know very well that you're not going to be the one who ends up doing the cleaning, right? Second, it proves how irresponsible you are. Your mother and I trusted you. We were wrong to think that you were mature enough to take care of that dog. Robb, you promised to take care of it. Under no circumstances were your mother or I to be put in such a situation. And what I'm saying goes for everyone. You are all at fault. This dog has been here for a month and your mother has taken care of it much more than you have all of you together. Sansa, I've seen you brush him and remove his hair only once. Robb, I've never seen you feed him. You are untrustworthy, this is unacceptable." 

Robb sat still, he didn't know what to say, there was nothing to say. Even his brothers and sisters were silent, showing how effective his father's icy tone was. He was scary when he wanted to be, he became unreachable, another man.

His mother stood and crossed her arms. "Okay kids, let’s keep it simple. Either your behavior towards this dog changes, and everyone gets along. Either I take him to people who will take care of him, and you say goodbye to the dog."

"Mommy! You can’t do that!!"

"Pardon? I can do whatever I want because you acted recklessly." Her voice was just as firm as their father's. "I can do that because I absolutely refuse to have to clean up your mess every time. It's your dog, it's your responsibility. Do you understand?" Robb, undone, nodded.

His father spoke again. "Good." He stared at the children for a moment. "Robb and Rickon you are deprived of outings and screens for a week. I hope this will serve as an example to all." 

Robb groaned. "What? It’s unfair! I have so much homework, I can’t think of everything!"

His father icy glare sent chills down his spine. "It’ll be fair when your homework starts giving real results on your tests. It’ll be fair when you understand that your mother and I have just as much, if not more, things to think of, and we still do them!" He stood up, his throat was tight and it was difficult to talk with the tears forming at the corner of his eyes.

"It’s not the same! It’s stupid! You are stupid! Mom is stupid! You can’t understand me! No one can." He had barely had time to understand what he had said when got dragged out of the kitchen by his father to his room, he had just enough time to see Rickon crying.

Robb was pushed inside his room by his father. "You are not getting out of this room until you’re ready to apologize to your mother."

.

The days passed and Robb felt more and more guilty about Shaggy. Things had calmed down since the argument but he thought about it all the time. He had heard the word "teenager" come up in a conversation between his parents and he hated to admit that it might have been that. He felt so different and misunderstood lately that it could only be that. School was horrible, he used to have lots of friends before, he used to be well-liked by his teachers. And then everything changed this year. He had wanted to talk about it with his father but since Christmas, things had been too tense. And before that, there had been a strange period when his parents were very distant.

He had been seeing a speech therapist for years and even she had said that his concentration had dropped. After that, his mother had helped him with his homework, but it was an unpleasant time. And it wasn't that often… she was overwhelmed with work because of Miss Targaryen. From what he understood, there had been a corporate war for some time and his parents were fighting to keep the NCA going. What was certain was that the annual Corps New Year's Gala had been canceled. His father had told him it was because the organizing committee had let them down, but Robb thought it was really because of rivalries.

He loved going to this gala, they all dressed nicely and there were a lot of people. But he understood only recently that it was a pretended party, it was just a big business meeting with people being nice to each other for the sake of the Corps. And his parents had always hated it.

.

Summer break at last. Sansa, Arya, and he were going to his Grandpa Hoster’s house for two weeks with the Blackfish and Edmure. Meanwhile, Bran and Rickon were going to Grandpa Rickard’s. Both his grandfathers had decided to give his parents a break and Robb believed it to be an excellent idea. It had been a thought beginning of year with the Corporations problems and everyone adjusting to Shaggy. Everyone but his mother. She just couldn’t admit the dog was here and theirs forever. She just kept calling him "it" or "the dog" as if she’d never seen him. After the huge fight in January, Robb and his siblings had tried their best to care for Shaggy, and thus, things were calmer.

Paradoxically his mother was still the one caring the most for him, and she was still the one liking him the less.

Shaggy had grown a great deal since December, he was thinner, had longer hair, and he looked more like a dog than a puppy. Rickon couldn’t take him in his arms anymore and he was getting big for single beds ends. Hence we always ran straight for his parent’s queen-sized bed. It was always covered with huge wool covers since his mother hated the cold, and Shaggy loved those, much to his mother’s despair. He often heard his mother yell at Shaggy to leave the room but he always ended up going back.

The dog had a special bond with everyone, one could see it right away. He was calm and playful with Sansa, playful and caring with Arya, sneaky with Bran, protective, and careful of Rickon. He was just perfect. Robb succeeded in teaching him some poses in dressage, and some games too. He wished he could have shown his grandfather the tricks but Shaggy was staying home with his parents. He would miss him.

———

The warmth of the water felt blissful as if water had always been a part of her, it felt like it could heal her, and definitely relax her. She slid down underwater, letting it block everything around. It felt like the tub would expand into the Red Fork near Riverrun and she would go swimming as she used to on hot summer days. Those days were so far away now.

It was quiet, there was no one in the house, but it was too beautiful to last. The very same evening her friends would come over. With the mess at the Corps and the mess at home, they had barely seen their friends, and Catelyn missed them dearly. Ned would be back soon with the dog, he drove Bran and Rickon to his father, and the guests weren’t expected until a good four hours.

She rose to reach her phone on the sink and played the Brahms essential playlist humming the tuberose scented soap. After some time she emerged from the water gasping for air, she’d lost her skills to hold her breath underwater for too long over the years.

« Had it been anyone else, I would have believed him drowned and dead by now. »

She jumped and looked over her shoulder to see Ned sitting on a stool. She sank back into the warm water closing her eyes again. « For how long have you been here? » She grinned at the sound of the chair being pulled closer, then moaned in satisfaction when she felt his hand massage the back of her neck where her hair was pulled up in a messy bun.

« Long enough. » He pressed a kiss there and helped her wash the worries away. The sweet floral scent filled the air and floated to her own room.

"How were Bran and Rickon?"

"Overjoyed to see their grandfather. Miserable to see Shaggy come home with me." She scoffed, her kids couldn’t live away from the dog anymore. "You should have left it there. I would have liked that. They would have too."

"Poor dog, don’t you think he deserves some time away from the kids too?" Just then she heard it bark from behind the door and begged Ned to shut it up.

The evening was getting better with each new guest, Robert and Cercei arrived, then Maege Mormont, Jon Umber, Jon Lynderly and Alys, Benedar Belmore, and his wife Sarya. Lastly, Lyanna and Brandon showed up.

Just like good old times, there was nothing but crisps and small tomatoes to go with the booze Robert brought. It relieved her from the entry-main course-dessert meal she was used to cook for her family.

They all sat in the living room around the table and Cat found the rug particularly comfortable. Some jazz music was playing in the back but it was essentially covered by the talks. She loved it, and she could tell Ned enjoyed himself too. The evening was young but he was already drunk thanks to Robert’s unknown alcohol probably found in the deepest pits of hell. Cercei and herself were nursing their wines. It was a wonder to have all their friends together in Winterfell at the same time and Catelyn was glad there were no children around at all - except for the dog. The dog was getting pet by Lyanna and Maege and it barked impossibly loudly sometimes.

What Catelyn preferred in her conversation with Cercei was that they didn’t talk of children at all. It felt nice to have conversations other than schools and playdates. With each new wine of glass, Catelyn’s conversation was drifting more and more to metaphysical hypothesis about the human’s behavior and its reaction to what surrounded him. Over time, everyone had joined their talk on whether love was something that existed for real or if it was society’s construction. Much like the dog, people barked at each other for hypothesis and antithesis. Very soon it sounded like the _Symposium_.

"Who’s hungry? I’m going to make some pasta, for old time’s sake." Almost everyone rose their hands, fuelling her nostalgia for endless parties. The dog followed her to the kitchen and with the wine fogging her thoughts she gave him a small piece of bacon and patted his head.

She came back with a pot overflowing with pasta, with forks only placed in the dish, and without plates. The atmosphere was even more happier than when she had left. Cat spotted her husband grabbing a beer and she threw herself at him. "Wait! Lemme open it." With bare teeth, she uncorked the bottle and smiled triumphantly. Ned stared at her and she shrugged her shoulders. "It’s like riding a bike, you never really forget."

At Ned’s surprise as well as hers, the dog came to her and lay over her feet. "What is it doing Ned?" Her husband burst out in laughter pointing at the dog. "He likes you!" Greatjon and Benedar were completely drunk and came to sit right beside her, nearly spilling the wine glass she held.

"What are you doing?" They laughed. "Imitating the dog." Catelyn glared at them and resumed her pasta eating.

Brandon and Lyanna offered to play Truth or Drink, which was the worse idea ever. She should have known any game made up by her brother and sister-in-law was a bad idea. Thankfully everyone was too tipsy (or stoned) to ruin the atmosphere. Catelyn hesitated between blushing from embarrassment or laughing at the fact that they were doing a young adult alcohol game and enjoyed it.

"Ned!!! This one’s for you" Cercei yelled so loud Catelyn covered her ears. "Alright, what’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you during sex?" Cat laughed shaking her head. "Sex, the game said sex. You had sex with other people. It doesn’t have to be me." Ned thought for what seemed an hour before drinking a shot.

Relieved Cat took the phone and read the next question addressed to Cercei. "Okay honey, name the person here present whom you would like to kiss and who is not your partner." Cercei scanned the room and her eyes fell on Brandon. "Definitely him." she turned to Robert "No offense." He rose his glass. "None taken!"

Ned took the phone from her hands focusing to read. "Sarya, this one is for youu-oohh my god. Have you ever tried anal sex?" Everyone screamed for an answer. Sarya took a sip and nodded. Just like that Brandon and the Greatjon were patting Benedar’s shoulders and serving him another drink.

The game went on for hours. When it stopped everyone was left ashamed and even drunker. With thirteen years of wedding and sex life, Ned and herself had been the target of this game. Catelyn stood - unsteadily - and plugged her phone into the stereo. "I do believe it’s time to dance sweetlings. Uh - darlings."

Queen’s _Don’t stop me now_ echoed in the room and the dog barked loudly jumping around when everyone stood. _I’m floating around in ecstasy, so don’t stop me nowww…_ Cercei approached Catelyn and wrapped her arm around her. "You didn’t answer the question honey; what’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told a person to get them back into bed?" Catelyn laughed at her friend. "Gods so many… uh, that I wanted another kid?" Cercei stepped back aghast. "You little tramp!" Right after, she dragged her on the dance floor and swayed her hips. _‘cause I’m having a good time, I’m a shooting star leaping through the sky like tiger, defying the laws of gravity…_

Soon the rhythm took what was left of her lucidity. Only her body knew how to speak. She embraced the music just like everyone else did, swaying, turning, yelling the lyrics… And then came up _Fly me to the moon_ by Sinatra.

"Ned!! It’s our song!"

Catelyn ran to her husband through the crowd, he caught her by the waist. And the dance they practiced for years at parties began. Love was so difficult to explain. Her mind drifted to what they had said. It was a feeling. Not it was an emotion. Then it was both. Maybe society had put a word on it at one point in history but she knew that those people had probably felt that. They had felt the sparkles in the belly when seeing the person. She knew it was love, the way one’s gaze could catch another and a billion words were silently exchanged. The feeling of knowing the other felt _that_ too. And then there was this eternal feeling of anxiety before seeing the one, no matter if they’d been separated an hour or weeks, the anxiety, the happiness of seeing the other again and again.

_Fly me to the moon_

Left foot, right foot, spin, stunt, laugh, rock, roll, and repeat. It was natural to them. She felt light and each of the notes lifted a bit more her spirit. Surrounded by her friends, she felt like truly flying. It reminded her of a time when parties were vitals, in her youth. They’d dance every weekend to the same songs again and again. Creating friendly bounds that would last for decades, not knowing it back then of course.

_Let me play among the stars_

Fly me to the moon had been at a New Year’s party, she’d danced with Ned and she knew then she loved him. It was carved in her heart. This song had also been one she’d listened to on road trips with Cercei and her sister. It had been a song she’d listened to at 5 am on a beach during summer with Petyr and the Greatjon. She’d lived with this song.

_Let me see what spring is like On a-Jupiter and Mars_

Shaggy was bouncing around them, and Catelyn nearly stepped on his paw. She noticed other people dancing too. Only the feeling inside her mattered. This feeling of belonging, of pure happiness. She could say everything was complete because she knew this would have an end at one point. And she’d see her dear children. And later, she’d meet again with her friends.

_In other words hold my hand, in other words, baby kiss me_

She recalled what a teacher once said to her. 'Joy is a small piece of a puzzle called happiness’. Some things could be objected but she couldn’t deny the feeling of truth in those words.

_Fill my heart with song, and let me sing forevermore. You are all I long for. All I worship and adore_

The closer to the end they were, the slower they moved, only to end up swaying close together. Catelyn lifted her face to kiss her husband. She clutched against him to keep forever this feeling in her memory. With her head buried in the crook of his neck, she whispered the last words to Ned for him only to hear. 

_In other words, I love you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading once more! Brace yourselves for chapter 3!


	3. Man's best friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years go by and love grows.

Ned sat back in the armchair waiting for Tyrion Lannister to return. He gazed at the office, it was rather simple compared to the rest of LannisCo, but then again, Tyrion was a special man. He had not many things in common with his father, if nothing at all. Catelyn flipped the page of the file on her lap.

"I’m here."Tyrion came back with his coat ready to leave. "Where should we go?" He asked and Cat looked up smiling. "You know the neighborhood better than we do. But any restaurant will do." 

All three of them went down to the ground floor and Ned headed to the reception to get Shaggy from the nice receptionist. Shaggy barked and trotted happily. The sun was bright outside and it was almost too warm for him. King’s Landing was not a place he liked at all but they had taken advantage of the kids being at their grandparents to do this trip to LannisCo they wanted to do since the Bolton affair, and mostly to take a break and have vacations of their own.

Tyrion and Catelyn were discussing ahead of him. The two attended the same law school and Catelyn had been many times at his place in Casterly Rock when she was friend with Cercei. They didn’t fear Tyrion as an opponent to StarkCo at all, but they did fear his father. The purpose of this meeting was to make sure LannisCo would support them if Bolton ever tried to take action against them again.

He pushed to the of a fancy restaurant with velvet benches. "It’s our canteen. Everyone has been eating here for years." Tyrion waved to the waiter who pointed at a table in a corner by a window. From the waiter’s head, Ned could easily imagine this was the quietest table

«So… » Tyrion said removing his coat. « I’ve heard you were touring the Corps. I’m curious to know what this is about. "

Cat and he had agreed before with the administration of StarkCo on what to say and what to not say. The plan was to strengthen their bond to the other corporations by mentioning as little as possible the Bolton affair. As the talk went on, Ned observed the pressure Cat put on Tyrion by subtly mentioning frauds she had noticed which, if public, could destroy LannisCo or its accomplices.

Dishes were brought and Tyrion observed them a long time, it was uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and leaned forward not paying attention to his plate anymore.

« Catelyn, there’s something that bugs me. I understand that StarkCo might be uncertain about its market in the next months to come. You two mentioned that you were dealing with all sorts of troubles, you mentioned the development of small businesses that could become a threat, and you mentioned that some were part of the NCA. From what I know of the NCA no one would betray StarkCo or Ned. So let me ask you… what did Roose Bolton ask you? »

Ned was stunned, the man before him was truly smarter than he’d believed. He knew people had suspicions of who they might be referring to; but after a long talk. Tyrion had just guessed by himself. Ned breathed in. « This is bold of you to assume Bolton did anything. »

« You talk in the future tense yet your presence here is the proof that a threat has already been done. And I doubt you’d willingly leave your dear offspring to make a tour of the Corps if it wasn’t serious. The NCA is strong, StarkCo has been at its head for a long time, only someone wealthy and stupid enough can dare to compete with it. That leaves Roose Bolton, whose name you haven’t mentioned at all. And from the expression on your faces now I can tell I’m correct. »

Catelyn studied him intently. « You live up to your name Tyrion. » He chuckled. « I’m trying to. I must say you do too Catelyn. »

He raised his glass and drank the rest of his it. He drank more wine in an hour than Ned had seen Catelyn drink in her entire life, although...

Ned straightened. « Roose Bolton intends to become head of StarkCo as well as the NCA. We’re back against the wall here unless we have the Corps’s support. Either he removes his support which will probably cause StarkCo to bankrupt, and then he’ll be able to become head of the NCA, either he changes the Corps rules and proclaims himself Head. We’ve studied the conditions he’s given us, it’s almost a direct threat to me. I stand between Roose and the direction of the NCA. »

Tyrion sighed and leaned over the desk. « And we can't let him do that. I see… indeed it’s a complex situation. Have you discussed this to the other Corps? »

« No, it’s too precarious. But we told them enough to have their support. »

« Yes, of course… were Bolton to find out you’re working behind his back, he would act. »

« I presume you didn’t know any of this? » Catelyn asked.

« I didn’t, my father is a secret man. I never know what he thinks. I don’t know to what extend I can help you, LannisCo and StarkCo have never really been on good terms. » Ned perceived true disappointment in his eyes. If the two Corps were so contentious it was because of Tywin Lannister and his own father. The two had worked for a tyrant, a Targaryen ruthless man, Daenerys’s father, and his own father had turned his back on him claiming his Corps was a fraud and murdered people only to achieve power, madness.

« Well, it’s good to know you are ready to help. And you are right, they haven’t been on good terms but they are part of the eldest Corps, I believe in the Corps, and I believe that despite our differences, we can make it work. And besides, if StarkCo falls, there’s a high chance for the other Corps to be affected. » Catelyn said, pulling Ned out of his thoughts.

« I’m interested to know what you think of the Corps Catelyn if that’s not too personal. » She frowned, neither Cat of himself were the kind to share their feeling with other people.

« We’ve been raised in this world Tyrion. You must have played in LannisCo's corridors since forever, just like I did at TullyCo, just like my children do at StarkCo. Surely you remember the time when our parents were just a bunch of young businesspeople with huge dreams, they came together and reunited the Corps, it was something small at first, and it was a wonderful time. All of Westeros's firms coming together. Well, I believe that we can return to this, I hope so. The Corps have changed, they are the biggest group of affairs worldwide and have a huge influence, it cannot be the same, but hopefully, they can work together instead of against one another. Rickard Stark created the Northern Corps Allegiance to help small companies develop, but never to be outdone by them. Rickard helped Bolton like no one ever did, without him he’d be nothing. And today StarkCo is on a fragile cliff because of him, and I’m hoping that the Corps will find it in them to give us a hand. »

Ned felt immensely proud of his wife when he recognized respect in Tyrion’s eyes.« Few think like this today. »

« StarkCo lives for it. Ned and I do. »

« So do I Catelyn. » He paused. « I can’t give my word that LannisCo will support you but I’ll do my best to convince my father it is the right thing to do. »

« Thank you, Tyrion. I’d be happy to hear your opinion on the Corps someday too. » Ned nodded relieved the talk went so well. He felt like he could trust the man. Then Catelyn was standing up.

"Where are you going?" Catelyn put her coat on. "Just across the street, there's a drugstore and I have a lousy headache, I'll be back in a moment. Excuse me Tyrion."

It was rare for Cat to take this type of initiative, her headache must have been really acute. "Take the dog with you. It'll do him good to get some fresh air." She sighed. "Yay, my best friend."

He ignored the sarcasm in her voice and turned to Tyrion. He may have been a dwarf, but he had all the makings of a strong man, even more. Ned had heard about Tyrion's reflective qualities before. All the Corps talked about it, and he'd even seen him at a few parties, or at the annual New Year's gala. But it was only now that he met the man for real.

He had uncovered their whole plan in mere minutes, gathered the causes, and concluded the possible consequences. Ned remembered their meeting with Mace Tyrell. Not only had Mace not understood that it was Bolton, but he had also misinterpreted the situation and thought that it was his company that was being targeted.

"Tell me Tyrion. How are things going at LannisCo? I saw your sister just this week, is she still working with you, or is she working with Robert?"

"She travels back and forth between offices. She's lucky that both Corps are in the same city. I don't see Catelyn going back and forth between Riverrun and Winterfell every day."

"Yes, it sure is more convenient. And besides, Catelyn's brother is in charge of managing the company alongside their father."

Ned hated making conversation, he wasn't the kind of person made for this. Only with his friends and family could he talk about anything and everything. Fortunately, they had a job in common with Tyrion they could talk of, otherwise there would have been total silence.

Time seemed too long and Catelyn wasn’t back yet. He turned around to watch the drugstore across the street and what he saw nearly got him to choke on the piece of meat he was chewing. Tyrion bent as well to look.

"Oh, I didn’t know Baelish was in town." Tyrion said nonchalantly. But Ned couldn’t pretend it didn’t affect him. The man had been in love with his wife for a long time and he knew he still loved her. Catelyn had told him little of the man but enough to know she had no desire to see or talk with him. Before each Corps Gala, she even made sure to have good apologies not to talk to him.

She was just in front of the drugstore, holding her wallet, the medicine, and the leash. Ned could tell from her attitude that she craved to leave. Baelish on the other hand was standing straight and faced her.

"I always forget Petyr and Catelyn grew up together." Tyrion said. _I don’t_. "Yes. They did. Is Baelish still working for your father?" Tyrion nodded"Although, they don’t talk of what they’re doing. But I don’t give a shit, Baelish is just trying to find a place in the Corps and he’ll give obsequious praises to anyone who’ll listen." Ned wished he could hear what was being said, he would have liked to know what was making his wife so angry. She was getting tenser and tenser and every step she took she was doing it in the direction of the restaurant. Baelish was a taboo issue between Cat and her sister, it was best never to refer to it at the risk of hearing slamming doors and insults.

And then, it all happened too fast, Ned witnessed Cat shouting something at Baelish, slapping him, and running back to the restaurant with Shaggy snarling. He’d never seen Shaggy behaving like this before. Then Baelish caught her by the sleeve and pulled her to him in a way that was both violent and inappropriate. The next thing Ned knew was Shaggy launching himself at Baelish and biting his arm.

He stood knocking his chair off and rushed outside the restaurant. People were staring, he couldn’t see or hear them. Ned hurried to grab Shaggy by the collar so he’d let go of Baelish’s bloodied arm. His heart was pounding and somehow it was buzzing in his ears.

Cat was panting and clinging to his arm, Baelish was screaming insults at the dog while clutching his arm. "He is crazy! This dog is crazy! Call 911!"

Two pharmacists came running and took Baelish into custody, they sat him on a bench nearby. He continued his insults. Ned had enough and moved closer to Baelish. "You're not going to do anything. I've seen everything Baelish. Who the fuck do you think you are! You think I didn't see you throw yourself at Catelyn! She obviously didn’t want to talk to you. The dog only defended her, and he was right!"

"I didn’t do anything! It’s this violent and dangerous dog who threw itself at me!" Baelish screamed while the pharmacist wiped the blood.

Tyrion, whom he had not seen until then, spoke. "Baelish, you better shut up. Everyone here knows you’re at fault. Call 911 and we’ll see what happens. Now you better pretend you don’t exist if you don’t want Eddard Stark and Tywin Lannister suing you for harassment."

"If I see one word, one touch, or even one look at my wife again, I swear you’ll pray that I don’t find you."

Ned wrapped his arm around Catelyn and led her away from Baelish. "Tyrion, I hope you’ll understand but it’s better if we go. I’m sorry."

"Of course. I’m sorry too. Call me whenever you want and I’ll call you concerning our deal."

Ned grabbed their bags and left the Lannister perimeter as fast as possible in the direction of their hotel. Catelyn didn't say a word, she just held his arm tightly, as for Shaggy he walked very close to her. When they reached the hotel room, Cat sat on the sofa breathing slowly in and out. Within seconds Shaggy jumped on the couch and rested his head on her lap. Surprisingly she leaned and rested her head against its fur too, wrapping her arms around his head. He licked her hand until she composed.

"Are you okay?" Ned sat beside her.

"He said horrible things. I can’t believe… He’s mad." She kept petting Shaggy’s large head. "At first I was kinda happy to see him. But then I recalled why I hated him. He talked shit about the Corps and then… I don’t know. He started repeating that he loved me, that Lysa and you were mistakes, delusions, that we should be together. He was rambling and just insane. Mad. And then he said .. oh Ned."

He came closer winding his arm around her, Shaggy didn’t like it. "He said awful things, Ned."

"You don’t have to tell me Cat." He knew it was unmistakably sexual. The fucker had probably said obscene words to his wife. "And I slapped him. And then… had Shaggy not been here…" He watched as Catelyn ran her hand through the massive fur and he beamed. "You called him Shaggy."

Catelyn looked up surprised. Shaggy had been with them for almost eight months and Catelyn had never said his name or petted him. "I did. Well, I owe him that."

Ned didn’t know whether he was glad or not that his wife had been harassed by Baelish, he hated that she was hurt, but at least it had reconciled her with their dog. The next days they spent in King’s Landing were far more enjoyable, and Catelyn and Shaggy had never been so friendly. During their stroll in KL's central park, she had thrown sticks at Shaggy, played with him, petted him, cuddled him. The incident had started a true friendship.

Of course, they liked each other before, because Cat had fed and walked him many times, but it had evolved surprisingly into something strong.

One evening he came into the room to find Shaggy spread on his side of the bed.

"Catelyn!"She looked up from her book carelessly, never stopping to strike the dog’s head. "Yes darling?" He went to sit on the little space left at the edge of the bed. "What is Shaggy doing on the bed?"

She had used her best puppy eyes, to have him to stay. Catelyn had never insisted about Shaggy staying on their bed before, it was usually him. "Cat, it’s our last night in King’s Landing. Tomorrow we’re going home. With all the children." He paused. "Shaggy get down." The dog didn’t listen. "Get down Shaggy!" Catelyn sighed. "You were the one to allow him on our bed first. Blame yourself."

Ned frowned, Shaggy didn’t listen to him anymore. Otherwise, he would have gotten off the bed. He watched as Shaggy curled even closer to Catelyn. He glared at the dog. "She is my wife. You are NOT taking my place in the bed." She laughed at last and gave in. She told to Shaggy to go and he did immediately, Ned sat stunned contemplating the plot twist that happened in his life. From now on, Shaggy wouldn’t be his good boy anymore but Catelyn’s.

————

Arya loved dearly her grandfather, and Robb, and Sansa, but two weeks with them was more than she could take. She missed her parents and her dog, she missed being home and sneaking to get food whenever she wanted, she missed pranking her little brothers, and she missed being rude, which was impossible with her grandfather. Blackfish had accepted to accompany them and she was glad it was him because she couldn’t stand her uncle Edmure anymore.

So when Arya saw her parents and her dog through the train’s window at Winterfell international Station waving at her, she breathed in relief.

" Shaggy!" Her dog barked, his tail furiously wiggling. He jumped and licked their hands and their cheek. Arya turned to her parents and hugged them. She had missed them more than she’d ever admit. Her father lifted her and embraced her tightly. "How’s my girl!" She took in his smell, it smelled of safety, of cuddles, and home. His shoulders were nothing alike with Edmure’s. Edmure’s were bony. Her father’s were perfect. Robb was being crushed by their mother and Arya noticed how he was almost her height now. She had missed all this overwhelming love.

"Thank you for accompanying them, uncle." Her mother said when she embraced the Blackfish. "Are you staying for diner?"

"No, I have a train in 20 minutes for White Harbor." Apparently, Bran and Rickon were already home with Old Nan. Arya couldn’t wait to annoy her brothers. She’d missed them too.

When they left the station, Arya noticed Robb taking Shaggy’s leash but he just sat and refused to move. He stood only when their mother came back from getting the newspapers. Arya looked up at her father. "What’s up with Shaggy?" He smiled and bent. "It’s a secret Arya. Promise not to tell anyone?" She nodded. "Your mother and Shaggy became best friends."

 _What?_ It couldn’t be true. Mother didn’t like Shaggy. And Shaggy didn’t care about her. "But…" She followed her father holding his hand. "Shaggy follows her everywhere now." Suddenly Arya felt very happy, they had all wanted that. "I knew it. I knew mom would end up loving Shaggy. From the moment Nan showed us this picture of MacTíre and mom, I knew she was dog team, despite her name."

Arya observed the interaction between Shaggy and her mother and noticed indeed closeness that hadn’t been there before. Shaggy looked for her and allowed himself to play when she was in the field of view. As for her mother, she answered Shaggy’s barks by petting gently his head. It felt like a small acknowledgment where each made sure the other was okay. _What happened during the holidays?_

Her father allowed Robb to sit in the front passenger seat since grandpa Hoster had taught Robb a great deal about the Highway Code. He pointed at road signs and Robb answered what it was. Sansa was showing pictures to their mother of their holidays on the screen of her small camera. She caught sight of the river, their excursion to the Whispering wood, Minisa, her grandpa. The more pictures, the more Sansa was leaning against their mother and Arya envied it. But she wouldn’t admit it.

"Blackfish taught me how to swim the crawl!" She smiled widely. "He’s the best at it! You’ll show me Arya sweetling?" Her mom took her hand above Sansa’s lap. "Oh my girls, how I’ve missed you. I’m glad we’re all back together." Arya nodded. "Two weeks was an eternity. Don’t ever leave us two weeks with Edmure’s not funny jokes again." She chuckled as Sansa and Robb groaned.

"Oh my god! Don’t talk about it! Mom, it was awful! " Robb lamented "Arya, tell the one about the can. It’s so cringy. I swear Ed must have told it about ten times."

Arya cleared her throat looking straight at her mother. "What do you call a can opener that doesn’t work?" she shook her head. "A can’t opener."

There was a silence, and then her mother put her hand over her mouth. "He didn’t."

"Oh that’s not all mom. Uh... What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? Frostbite!" Her mother hid her face in her hand and her father just held the steering wheel tighter. Meanwhile, Robb and Sansa were laughing. "To be honest, they’re so bad it’s actually funny. Listen to that: What do you call someone with no body and no nose? Nobody knows!"

And suddenly her mother burst out in laughter

"Cat! Stop! Cat you can’t laugh at that! I forbid you." Arya laughed at their reaction. "Cat no, not you! Sansa stop her!"

Robb laughed as well. "Like brother, like sister I guess."

.

« Was it truly necessary for us to come? » The words slipped out of her mouth without a thought but Arya was tired of sitting between her Bran and her sister who was listening to annoying music with cheap earphones that were not soundproof at all.They’d been on the road for hours and she truly didn’t get why they had to come to this weekend that would be more of a business reunion rather than a nice time by the lake. Almost every year they went to Harrenhal with families of The Corps and she hated it, she hated the hypocrisy of all the people and she hated that nobody really appreciated those traditional meetings. She recalled the argument they had the same morning and that made everyone angry at each other.

She had been sitting on the couch by her father’s desk when Rickon began to yell at Sansa. And then it was Robb. « I’m not going. I can’t. Dacey and I had planned to throw a party. » Robb had said pacing in the room. « Robb, I’ve spoken with Maege and Dacey is very much coming. There will be no party.» Her father had said scowling and looking very much like Rickon who was sitting on the floor with his arms crossed.

Bran was silent while Robb groaned and kept on arguing with father. « I’m old enough to stay here by myself. And I’m sure Dacey is too. You know there’s no point in us coming. » He raised his hand when her father began to talk. « And don’t tell me we’ll have fun because I’ve had enough of boat rides on that stupid lake for a lifetime. » Arya nodded and stood beside him for support. She didn’t want to go either. Her older brother had been forced to go there since forever and Arya admired that, she was younger and already fed up with it.

« Robb stop it. You will all come whether you like it or not. Harrenhal is only three days, three days during which I expect you all to behave. Now stop pestering me about you not coming. It isn’t easy for anyone here. » His frown softened when her mother came around the desk and put a hand on his shoulder.

« Your father is right. No one likes this weekend, yet we have to be there. It is the most important reunion for the Corps and as your father said, it is only three days. Now sweetlings, go to your rooms and finish packing your bags. » Arya stood and knew that the pout on his siblings’ faces only reflected her own. « And don’t forget your swimsuits. » The remark made everyone sigh in exasperation, the lake was pleasant enough to allow people to bathe in it and it often led to giant lake parties. Arya hated them even more, she loved water for sure, but not with other people, and especially not Cercei’s children. Arguments and fights occurred all the time and her father had told her that it had always happened, even when he was a child himself. Baratheons were insufferable and Arya didn’t know how Joffrey hadn’t been punished yet, somehow he always managed to get out of trouble.

« Arya, we’re not having this discussion again. » Her father glanced at her in the rear mirror and focused his eyes back on the road.

She slid further into her seat groaning in discomfort at the warmth coming from all sides. Even Shaggy was getting tired of the car ride and it really smelled bad.

« Can we at least stop for a bit? I’d like to make it to Harrenhal still breathing. » Arya hated being childish, she was too old for this, but she genuinely felt uncomfortable and hated that she had to pick the middle seat paper in the bowl. Robb and Rickon were on the third row with way more space than her. Even Shaggy had more room. Arya thought back to when she was tinier and room in the car was not yet an issue. _Good old time_. Then she noticed her father mumbling, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. Meanwhile, her mother stirred and stretched as best as possible in a car, she had fallen asleep, like Sansa.

She gazed around and her eyes landed on her father who seemed still upset. « Ned? »

He glanced at her a brief moment and grabbed her hand over the armrest. « I think we’ll stop at the next service area. » She nodded and turned around. Arya met her eyes and she smiled sleepily at her, looking back and forth between Sansa and Bran. « We’ll all switch places Arya. » She must have seen how miserable being in the middle was and Arya thanked, for once, her ability to see right through her.

As soon as her father parked the car they were all out, stretching their legs as if they had never walked. Shaggydog ran straight up to the grass area to relieve himself. As for Robb and Rickon, they were already sprinting for the shop. Bran and Arya turned around to their parents. « Dad, can we have money too? There’s no more water. »

« Water uh? Go inside, Mom and I will be there in an instant. » They walked away but Arya knew best to believe her father, she’d have to wait more time than ‘an instant’. She looked over her shoulder and snorted at how quickly her parents had wrapped their arms around each other.

« Might as well drink from the toilet. » Said Bran shrugging his shoulders.

After having sodas and coffees, going back inside the car seemed easier and the mood was lighter too. Arya cheered when her mother offered her to sit in the front seat, much to the other’s dismay. Bran protested at sitting between mother and Rickon, claiming that Robb hadn’t switched seat. After some time, Arya grinned when she saw her brother sprawled on her mother lap’s and sleeping soundly, with Rickon sleeping very strangely and drooling.

Her mother looked through the window but her gaze was likely further away than the horizon line of the fields, only the stroking of her fingers in Bran’s hair seemed to anchor her to the present. As for Robb and Sansa, they were both drowsing with music in their ears.

« Missing the passenger seats honey? » She looked up at her father who hadn’t taken his eyes off the road. « What? Oh no. » She straightened and looked ahead. «It’s just so quiet, it’s nice. » Her father snorted.

« We surely don’t get a lot of quiet, do we? It’ll likely be the only moment of peace we’ll have for some time. Harrenhal will be filled with people. » After some time, Arya recognized the landscape and spotted the giant lake they all called God’s eye for the island in the middle of it.

«There’s the lake! I saw it first! » Rickon screamed bouncing on his seat while pointing at the faraway form of water. Arya rolled her eyes, no matter how tall Rickon was getting, he would always act like a baby« Look! Everybody » It drew Shaggydog’s attention who began to bark, which soon resulted in everybody yelling at each other. Arya sighed, at least she wasn’t in the fight this time. They’d have to deal without her. This would be fun holiday.

————

For years Christmas had also been the dog’s birthday. Everyone insisted on offering Shaggy a ball or a large pillow no matter how useless it was given he never wanted to sleep anywhere else than the old pillow torn and dirty in the hallway — or his bed.

"And six balls for Mister Smelly!" Robb threw the balls at Shaggy who ran to catch them all. "Robb! Balls are outside only." He heard Catelyn scold as she came into the living room with a plate full of pastry for everyone.

"But it’s cold."

"Oh my god, Robb. Are you five?"

Robb groaned and went to get his coat, taking his girlfriend’s as well. He introduced Margery when he graduated with his Bachelor of business administration. They had been dating for a few months and Robb had been terrified to actually present her to Cat and him. They had been suspicious of Mace Tyrell’s daughter but ended up liking her just fine after talking to her.

Then Ned recalled that one time, that one horrible time when he came home and Margery was happily riding his son’s cock in the living room. Catelyn had dropped the shipping bag to the ground and had hastily left the house. The worse being when she came home, everyone was dining and she barely looked up and just went to sit in her chair. Robb mumbled an excuse and said: "It's for all the times we caught you at it with dad." Cat had been on the brink of sobbing and she left right away to their room with Sansa laughing.

She had gone obsessed over this whole girlfriend stuff. "You absolutely must talk to him about contraception. What if she hurts him? I don’t think Robb loves her. What if Margery doesn’t love my baby? I don’t want him sad. Oh Ned, do you think they’ll get married. Oh my god, what if Robb leaves the house." He had laughed at her. But Catelyn had returned the favor when they learned that Sansa had a boyfriend. He’d been even worse than Cat. At last, they had accepted it, reminding themselves that they got married at twenty-one.

Robb slid the patio door open and a cold wind engulfed itself in the living room. Catelyn shivered of course and Shaggy did too refusing to go outside. Sometimes he liked to play in the snow but most of the time he preferred to stay inside where it was warm, much to Rickon’s dismay. Old Shaggy trotted to Cat and sat next to her.

"Mom, stop calling Shaggy!"

"I didn’t do anything." Arya sat head upside down on the couch next to Catelyn. "You know very well Shaggy is mom’s dog. Coaxing him to go outside won’t work unless mom goes outside too." Cat leaned and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Sit properly, it's not good for digestion."

Ned resumed his discussion with Jon about what studies he would do next. He wanted to go on a trip to Volantis and spend six months or a year there, as his mother had in her youth. His nephew was brilliant, and a year away from Winterfell could only do him good. Jon even offered Robb to be roommates but he refused for Margery. Now, Arya was trying to convince Jon to take her as a roommate.

All his kids wanted to leave the nest. But thankfully Bran and Rickon had no desire to leave yet. He gazed at the people in the living room. Nothing had changed and yet everything had. His children mostly, grew up before he had the time to understand they were even born. They were still his to protect at least. His gaze fell on Catelyn, Rickon, and Shaggy.

He could never be thankful enough for this dog. Ned had wanted a dog in the first place for Catelyn. When he saw his children amazed in front of the pet shop so many years ago, he knew he had to get his wife a dog. No one knew how much it had helped her. Ned took a sip of his whiskey. A few weeks before getting the dog, Cat had a miscarriage just before the end of the first trimester. No one knew, they wanted to keep it a surprise. It had been terrible, bloody. Luckily all the children had been at school when it happened. She spent a week in the hospital, blaming herself for not being more careful. The doctor told her she could never have children again, the bloody business had destroyed any chance left. She’d fought for her living children but her mind had been elsewhere all the time. Then the dog came by and she was able to finally love someone new, someone that should have been their child.

"You’re so far away my love." The one he was thinking about was standing in front of him, he didn’t even see her move. "Where were you?" She whispered snuggling against his chest. "We had beautiful Christmas Eves here." She looked up. "You make it sound like it’s over."

He sighed and turned again to study the people there. "One day, it’ll be. I was thinking of that Christmas when we got Shaggy. My father was here. Brandon and Lyanna were here. Your father was here too. You and Lysa were still talking…"

"Oh Ned." She moved her hand to his cheek. "I wish they were here too. I miss them all terribly. And I weep for them, but I must care for the livings while I can. Look around you, my love. Your children are only beginning their life. Rickon is starting high school next year. Bran cried this morning because he missed his winter tests. Robb, your twenty-year-old son, asked me this morning to make pancakes." She turned her head to look at the scene too. "We lost a lot. But we still have so much." Ned tightened his arms around her. "I’m glad you’re still here." She giggled and lifted her head to kiss him.

"GET A ROOM!"

Some voices screamed across the room. Ned eyed his three eldest children staring at them, embarrassed and angry at the same time. They nodded, pointing to the non-family guests. Ned couldn’t care less if Jon Umber, his son, Benedar and Sarya saw him kiss his wife. The rest was family, even Margery. He got tempted to say yes, swipe his wife off her feet and take her to their room but it would be impolite. Catelyn unhooked her arm from around his neck and stood still grinning. "See? They’re very much alive."

"Robb, come here son." His firstborn walked to them frowning with everyone watching. "Yes?" Ned smiled. "I don’t think you’ve received your gift from us yet." Then Robb grinned widely looking back and forth between his mother and him. "I’m pretending to be relaxed and okay with it, but I did notice and I’m waiting impatiently for what you’re going to say next."

"There's a surprise for you in the garage." His eyes widened and he sprinted towards the garage with everyone following.

"OH MY GOD" Robb was standing in the frame of the door with his hands resting on his head in wonder and delight. Jon was right behind him punching his shoulders "Son of aaaaa… you got it."

Ned made his way through the crowd to his son. "It’s not a Mercedes Benz and it’s not new, but still. How do you like it?"

"Are you kidding dad! It’s a Toyota Camry! It’s way more than I ever hoped!" Ned gave the keys to Robb who was blushing out of excitement. "Thank you dad! A thousand thanks!" Robb embraced him tightly. "You’re welcome, son."

"Where’s mom? Mooom? Where are you?" Ned saw Brynden and Jon move to let Catelyn pass. Robb flung his arms around her, almost knocking her off her feet. Ned couldn’t hear what his son told Cat during the embrace but he saw it was enough to moist her eyes.

"Can I try it?!" He said opening the door. "Of course not." Catelyn said sternly drawing everyone’s attention. "Robb you’ve had more champagne than there was tonight. You are not driving now." He just nodded and looked at the steering wheel. "Mine…"

Ned peeked inside. "It is so cool to think we’ve offered you road trips to the airport, the train station, the grocery store, or your sister’s schools." Robb was seized of terror at this very moment. "You’ll take me to work. Drive your mother home. Take Rickon to the dentist." Robb lowered his head, biting his lip much like his mother would. "Kidding son. Come on, let’s go back inside, and tomorrow we’re trying your car first thing in the morning."

Ned shoed everyone out of the garage. Rickon stayed behind so he went to him. "Dad. How come Robb has a car and I have headphones? This is so unfair." He led him back inside. "Well, first of all, they're very good headphones. And Rickon, you are not Robb’s age."

Ned knew Rickon would be over spoiled at Robb’s age. He’d probably be the last to leave home and Catelyn would coax him into staying by gifting him amazing things. He knew all this already, and he was looking forward to seeing it happen.

————

Rickon certainly not expected to receive a text from his father summoning home. _Come home asap_. He was in the middle of History class and to leave with the excuse of having received a text from his dad would not be accepted by his professor.

And so Rickon waited, his heart tight with distress. Why would he receive such a text? In the last thirty minutes of class, the worst scenarios came to his mind. His mother had been away a few days to help uncle Edmure with his newborn cousin and was supposed to come home today. This is what worried him the most. _No, he wouldn’t send a text, he’d call_. Then he recalled Jon and Robb were in Hornwood until supposedly today. He also recalled his father had received threats from a Frey guy at work. He recalled Arya had snuck out yesterday to meet with her friends.

So many things came to his mind that only the ring pulled him out of his reverie. Someone touched his shoulder and he jumped. "Oh Lyanna! You scared me."

"Are you coming? We have Math."

"What uh no, I don’t feel good, I’ll go home." Rickon swiftly stood from his chair and walked past his best friend. The way back home from high school was thirty minutes, it felt like hours. Rickon checked his watch every five-seconds and dared not look at his phone. His father had sent him a text an hour ago already. Much could happen in an hour.

At last, he saw the mansion. His heart was racing, he feared the worst. He turned the keys and slowly opened the door. Voices came from the living room. Rickon clenched his fist, at least people weren’t yelling.

He entered the room and saw all his siblings, which was a rare thing given Robb and Sansa had moved out and Arya was always out with her friends. They were sitting on the couch and staring at Shaggy. Rickon saw his mother sitting in an armchair with his father pressing some kind of ice pack against her calf.

He looked at his dog, there was a man standing above him. It was a veterinarian. Shaggy was lying on his side, on a blanket on the floor. Rickon could tell the dog had difficulties to breathe. He also noticed the large wound on his leg.

They saw him. "Rickon! What took you so long?"

"I was in school, what happened?"

His father let his mother hold the ice patch and came around where the veterinarian worked. "Rickon, I was taking Shaggy out for his walk, then I saw a cab stop on the other side of the road. It was your mother coming back from Riverrun. Shaggy … saw her … And he bolted to her. Rickon… Mom saw him, and then there was a mad man driving at full speed on the road. She ran to stop the car but… it hit Shaggy. Hard. Catelyn was very lucky. The bumper jostled her rather brutally but nothing too severe."

Rickon tried to process all the news. Shaggy had been hit by a car. "Is he going to be okay?" He tried very hard to hold back the tears when his father shook his head. His throat was tighter than it had ever been. _Not Shaggy_. He looked at his friend lying on the floor, he was still very conscious, and very dying too.

Then he was crying. He fell to the floor next to his dog. "Hi, buddy." Shaggy yelped, acknowledging him. He was an old dog, but Rickon had honestly believed his dog was eternal and would always stay by his side. He stroke his fur, the spot behind his ear. When he looked up, all his brothers and sisters were crying.

"Mr. Stark." the veterinarian said, "I’m ready when you are."

Rickon looked back and forth between them. "What does he mean?" Rickon stood, his eyes swollen from the tears. He watched his mother stand despite the pain that seemed rather serious in her leg. "Sweetlings, it’s time to say goodbye to Shaggy."

Rickon let out a sob, he couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. His mother hurried to him and wrapped him in a heartbreaking embrace. He watched over her shoulder as everyone kneeled at Shaggy’s side. Rickon couldn’t find his breath with his sobs and the only things preventing him from collapsing were his mother’s words of comfort. It was saddening to see his siblings giving kisses and caresses to Shaggy, crying and desperately trying to be positive. Sansa and Bran were against their dad while Robb and Arya refused to move.

"You should go too, sweetling." He heard his mom say. And so he kneeled beside Shaggy. This dog had been the best. He had been handsome, smart. He had been his friend and his family. He’d kept all his secrets, a true friend. Rickon didn’t know whether he was laughing or sobbing when Shaggy’s puppy head came to his mind; when he recalled all the balls and sticks he threw at him, all the games…He cried harder when he recalled Shaggy’s obsession at sticking his head out of car windows, his weird habit of overturning the kibbles from their bowl to eat them on the floor.

His friend was trying to stand he could see. Shaggy wiggled his head to show how much he didn’t want to leave and how he remembered everything too.

"Mr. Stark " the voice came again.

His father straightened. "Children, I don’t want you to stay. Please go to the kitchen." His father’s voice was trembling. He couldn’t move, he didn’t want to.

But then it was Robb who was helping him up and leading him to the kitchen. He kept crying, he didn’t want to believe it. He turned in the frame of the door and leaned against the wall. It was his mother kneeling by Shaggy, she brought his head to her lap. His father sat beside her, holding her.

She bent to rest her head against his head and Shaggy licked her cheek. Rickon felt his lips tremble, Shaggy and his mother had a love story no one understood, they had ignored each other for months in the beginning and then one day they had been best friends. They shared a special bond, indefinable. She gently stroke his head whispering things to him. _It’s going to be okay. Thank you, Shaggy, for everything. You’re okay, good boy_. The veterinarian took a needle out of his kit and Rickon turned around and went to the kitchen with his siblings. They all sat silently, the house was dead silent. And then it was all dizzy when he heard a sob coming from the living room, his mother cried too for Shaggy.

They dug a small grave in the far end of the back yard. Right under the tree Shaggy loved to pee on. It was sunny outside, something his dog would have loved. He watched as Robb gently put down Shaggy's favorite toy near the wooden box the veterinarian had brought.

And then his father and Robb were covering the coffin with soil. Each shovelful was like a hand squeezing his heart a little more. He would never see his dog again. He looked around the back yard, it was the best place to bury his friend.Shaggy would have like to stay in this yard forever, and he would.

That evening, they were all cuddled together on their parent’s large bed looking at pictures of Shaggy and telling stories of him. He liked the moment but he couldn’t forget that in the garden, a few meters away from him, there was the lifeless body of the dog he loved - had loved.

"Catelyn, Rickon, it’s your turn." He looked up, his father was staring expectantly at them. Rickon was snuggled against her despite being almost seven inches taller. He didn’t want to talk, and he was glad she didn’t either. When his siblings told stories he could just turn his face in her red hair to hide the tears.

"I … I was four when we got Shaggy. I feel like I've always had him in my life. And it's as if one of you … Nevermind. I have a lot of stories, we probably have lots in common. I'm sure we all thought we learned a special trick to Shaggy when it was just random. There's also mom in the story. It's not an extraordinary story, but it’s what made Shaggy extraordinary.

I don't recall where everyone had gone, but mom and I were alone at home. I guess I must have been around seven years old. I'll always remember that. Shaggy had a sixth sense. That night we watched a cartoon that must have scared me because I couldn't sleep." His voice broke. "I had called out for mom several times from my bed, but she didn't answer. So I called Shaggy but he wasn't coming either. I realized afterward that mom was crying because grandpa Hoster was very sick back then. I waited a long time in my bed terrified that a monster would come. Between two sobs, Shaggy came into my room. At first, I was scared, thinking it was the monster. But he grabbed me by the sleeve and took Mr.Mooch in his mouth. Then he took me to mom's bed. He climbed up on the bed and put his head back on mom’s lap.

He was incredible. He knew when we were sad and this time he made sure to bring us together when we couldn't do it ourselves. I recall waking up with mom and Shaggy still with me. For years he stayed with me when I had nightmares…I just never imagined, he could leave us."

Rickon was glad to have his family around him then. Mom just held him tighter and Arya did her best to lighten the mood by making a small joke. "With or without Shaggy we all know you’ll keep sleeping with mom when there’s no one else." He blushed furiously. "People won’t believe how many times I’ve surprised you or Bran sleeping here. Leaving almost no room to mom, in her own bed."Arya scoffed and crossed her arm frowning. But her frown quickly turned into a smile and she giggled.

"Do you guys remember when Robb got grounded because he forgot to let Shaggy outside?" Said Bran, hoping to avoid any comment on his own sleeping habits, although everyone knew. "Ohh it was bad." Added Sansa. "He even got grounded." His sister turned to their mother. "Mom, you didn’t tell a story."

Rickon straightened to look at her. She breathed in taking father’s hand. "You are all old enough to know now, I guess." It picked his interest. "Shaggy came into our lives, my life, at a very important moment. You were all too young to remember but before this Christmas, I had left home for a week." Sansa interrupted her. "I do remember, I remember I was worried." She nodded. "There’s no way to say this correctly…" she paused. "Back then, I lost a baby…" Rickon gasped, he hadn’t expected this and from his siblings’ faces, he could tell no one knew.

"It was painful. And when Shaggy came along, I refused to accept him because he wasn't the one I wanted. Time went by, and he turned out to be the best dog. And it is absolutely thanks to him that I was able to get better, to grieve. It was thanks to you too children. Shaggy was truly family." 

Rickon didn’t know what to do. He took her hand in his and smiled, Sansa did the same on her other side. Robb cleared his throat and stood. Everyone watched him curiously.

"Dad, mom… I don’t know if this is the right time but there’s something I need to tell you. All of you. As you put it, there’s no way to say this correctly…I proposed to Margery and she said yes." Before anyone reacted he added, "and she is pregnant."

Rickon sat still on the bed. He watched the people he loved cheer and weep even more given the recent news. It suddenly felt like all the prayers he’d learned for the Old and New Gods made sense, in _this_ very moment; when his mother lost a child, Shaggy came along and when Shaggy was lost, Robb was to be a father.

When he stood to congratulate his brother, Rickon tripped on his sister’s leg and fell right to the floor. He barely heard the gasps or felt the hands holding him back as he stared at Mr.Mooch lying on the floor under his parents’s bed. The toy hadn’t been seen in years and Rickon had even stopped looking for it. He grabbed the torn teddy, puzzled.

"Rickon! Are you okay?!" His father and Bran were helping him up. He couldn’t take his eyes off the toy he had loved so much.

"Isn’t this…" he looked up at last showing the toy to his mother, "... Mr. Mooch."

Sansa approached him staring equally surprised at the toy. Everyone was astonished. "I’m pretty sure this is Shaggy’s last gift to you." His older sister whispered. And Rickon nodded wordlessly at his family. His dog was still there somewhere and kept looking after them, he just knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actually, epilogue coming... hehe

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments truly make my day... ♥️


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